Nexus of the universe

I realized that the Times's potato leek gratin and The Argula Files's tortilla española had virtually the same ingredients, and that revelation gave me a taste of the serendipitous thrill Kramer experiences when he ventures to Lower Manhattan. "Hey, I'm on First and First. How can the same street intersect with itself? I must be at the nexus of the universe!"

Above, roasted eggplant and red pepper with melted Gruyere and locally pickled vegetables from Delicias Market (3702 14th St. NW, by Spring Rd.) on a toasted baguette. Below, Kramer.

Sweet Tomatos®

Improvising from a recent Food Wanderings original (improvising = cutting out "expensive" ingredients like arugula and avocados), I roasted some late-season cherry tomatoes, eggplant and garlic, and served it in an open-faced sandwich with kalamatas, fresh mozzarella and Olde Cape Cod honey mustard. Delicious, though next time, I might just save up for the avocado, or at least a goat cheese log.

In Providence, R.I., a taste of the Dominican Republic

I've been meaning to post a link to a great food story my colleague, Philip Marcelo, reported in May about the Latin street food scene on Providence's West Side, a growing phenomenon that reflects the city's growing Latino population and the growing demand for cheap eats during the recession.

"Broad Street is also where many of the city’s 'chimi' trucks –– the converted trailer homes and ice-cream trucks serving cheap fried eats, like Perez's –– have made a home. Around dinnertime, anywhere from 10 to 15 of them are lined up along Broad Street, in the few blocks around the nightclubs and bars. It's especially noticeable as the weekend approaches and the weather gets warmer."

The food trucks, with august and boastful names like Con Sabor a Pueblo, La Universidad de Chimi, Johnny's Chimi, and La Casa de Chimi, all serve chimichurri, "a sandwich of seasoned beef, pork or chicken packed with fresh tomatoes and coleslaw on a toasted roll that is a fast-food staple from the Dominican Republic," Marcelo reports. "There's also frituras (morsels of salty fried meats), longaniza (sausage), pastelitos (empanadas), pinchos (kebobs), yuquitas and tostones, not to mention the standard-fare French fries and sugary fruit drinks. Here, five bucks goes a long way."

Read the full story here.

Photo by Ruben W. Perez for The Providence Journal.